It is a known technique to introduce an endoscopic instrument into the internal organs of a human for the purposes of either observation and/or the treatment of such internal organs. In a known manner, an endoscope is introduced into the body. Typically, the endoscope is a hollow tube of a specified dimension which is able to be introduced into a particular body organ. Endoscopes are well-known in the medical art and are used to perform various procedures, such as removal of tissue samples, observing the bodily organ, and performing laser-based procedures.
One procedure which is well-known is the introduction of an endoscope and an included laser fiber to break up, for example, kidney stones. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, the distal end of the laser fiber is flat and orthogonal to the axis of the laser fiber. One reason for this is that the operator of the laser device wants to be able to manipulate the laser fiber within the endoscope so that it fires, when actuated, in the direction to which the fiber points. There are, however, a number of problems that exist in the art with the use of so-called flat face laser fibers.
One of these problems is that while the endoscope interior may be smooth, the flat tip possesses an edge all about the periphery of the flat tip which may get caught or stuck within the endoscope, particularly when the endoscope must be made to bend to be able to enter the internal passages of the human body and into, for example, the human kidney. Also, due to the fiber being of a very small diameter, for that very reason it presents sharp edges that may get caught in or perforate the endoscope. The flat tip has been known in the past to perforate the endoscope tube itself, which causes a number of problems in the procedure, including the entry of bodily fluids into the endoscope and damage to the flat tip edges which may affect the aiming of the laser beam. Even if the flat tip does not perforate the endoscope tube, the flat tip has been found to get partially stuck within the tube particularly around corners, and this causes problems in the operator's handling of the laser fiber as it is maneuvered within the endoscope and positioning within the body organ such as a kidney. It is known in the field of catheters and laser fibers that a skilled operator may maneuver in position the catheter or laser fiber largely at least partially by its “feel” and when the flat laser tip engages the inner walls of the endoscope that feel and feedback may be compromised.
Thus, the problem exists that while a flat tip is desirable if not necessary for a laser-based application requiring firing of the laser along the axis of the laser fiber, the very use of a flat tip laser fiber through an endoscope can cause any one a more the problems discussed above. Therefore, there is a need for a solution to this problem, so that a flat tip is presented when it exits the endoscope for treatment purposes yet does not get hung up within the endoscopic tube.